Delhi Police arrests five operatives linked to gangster Kapil Sangwan extortion network

According to police, the accused were allegedly sent by Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu to open fire at a clinic in the Chhawla area as part of an extortion racket being operated by the gang from abroad.

Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested three alleged sharpshooters linked to gangster Kapil Sangwan, along with two alleged weapon suppliers, in connection with a planned extortion firing in South-West Delhi, officials said on Sunday. According to police, the accused were allegedly sent by Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu to open fire at a clinic in the Chhawla area as part of an extortion racket being operated by the gang from abroad.

The arrested accused have been identified as Abhishek, Sahil, Harshdeep alias Polu, Karan alias Ankush and Aman. Police said the three shooters were based in Punjab, while the two alleged weapon suppliers were from Haryana. Police said sustained technical and manual surveillance was mounted after intelligence inputs suggested that Punjab-based shooters had been hired by the Nandu gang to carry out a firing incident in Delhi for extortion purposes.

On March 20, the Special Cell first apprehended one of the accused during the operation. During interrogation, he allegedly disclosed that he and his associates had conducted reconnaissance of the targeted clinic in Chhawla earlier this year. The accused allegedly revealed that arms, ammunition and a motorcycle were arranged in Delhi through gang associates. However, due to heavy crowd presence near the clinic, the shooters could not execute the firing and later planned to strike again, police said.

Based on the disclosures, the remaining accused were subsequently arrested. Police said three semi-automatic pistols, four live cartridges and three mobile phones used for communication with Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu were recovered from the accused.

During interrogation, investigators also uncovered details regarding the gang's alleged extortion network and its operational structure designed to evade law enforcement agencies even after arrests of operatives, police added. Officials said the arrests helped foil a major planned firing incident in the national capital.

Further investigation is underway to identify other members and networks associated with the gang's extortion operations, police said. (ANI)